The United States has withdrawn the military personnel deployed for a joint counterterrorism mission in Nigeria but will continue to support the country through intelligence sharing and other security partnerships.
The announcement was made by the Commander of US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, during a briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
Anderson explained that the joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin played a key role in disrupting the activities of the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh), benefiting not only countries within the region but also strengthening global counterterrorism efforts.
He noted that although the operation has concluded and most US forces assigned to the mission have departed Nigeria, the United States remains committed to assisting the Nigerian government through ongoing intelligence cooperation.
According to him, the continued partnership is based on Nigeria’s request for intelligence support to strengthen its ability to tackle complex security threats.
The US military commander described Nigeria as a capable security partner with a strong armed forces, adding that the collaboration between both countries has produced significant gains in the fight against terrorism.
He further stated that intelligence provided by the United States, combined with operations carried out by Nigerian troops, contributed to the successful elimination of the second-in-command of the global ISIS network.
